Protective Driving Techniques, Logs, ELD's
Protective Driving Techniques. Since the winter season experiences a higher number of crashes than the other seasons, I’ve opted to pass on some information that Great West Casualty recently published regarding your action following a crash. Their number one concern is that ALL crashes, regardless of how minor or fault, should be reported immediately. The reason is that their adjusters can aggressively respond with their investigation before the evidence is destroyed or lost. Great West Casualty also recommends that if you are involved in a crash that you
Set out warning devices when necessary.
Do not move your vehicle until instructed by the authorities…signage telling you to move fender-bender vehicles from the road is considered instruction by the authorities.
Contact the authorities, your company, and medical assistance (if needed).
Stay at the scene and be courteous.
If the other driver admits fault, have them complete an Exoneration Form.
Fill out the accident report at the scene.
Take pictures of the general scene, vehicles, any cargo spillage, any engine fluid spillage, etc. For more instruction consult your safety manual page D-2 & D3.
Do not sign anything or make statements except to the authorities, our company, or Great West Casualty.
Remain at the scene until all requirements are met, or as instructed by the authorities.
Trucking Statistics. According to the latest Commodity Flow Survey from the federal government, transportation by truck constituted 73.7% of the dollar value ($10.04 trillion) of the goods in the United States and 70% of the gross weight (8.19 billion tons) of goods shipped.
Split Sleep Rule. Apparently, the FMCSA now recognizes that the current 14-hour rule discourages drivers from taking a break in the sleeper berth when they are tired. The FMCSA announced last week that it would move forward with a field study on the effect of split rest times for truckers who use sleeper berths. Currently, those drivers each day must take at lest eight straight hours in the sleeper, plus a separate two consecutive hours either in the sleeper, off duty or any combination of the two.
Logs. It appears that most of our drivers & contractors have adapted to the 30 minute break. It is not actually required for you to make a comment or entry to the affect that the period of time in the Sleeper Berth or Off Duty was your 30 minute break but it might be a good way for you to account for the break. I’m also seeing a great improvement in how drivers/contractors are recording a 34 hour restart. The rule is considered vague but most enforcement personnel agree that the time that the restart happened needs to be written or recorded on the day of the restart. This makes it easier to determine if the restart began 168 hours since the last restart.
ELDs. The FMCSA was given a deadline of 15 Dec 13 to announce the drop dead date for the Electronic Log Devices (ELDs). Obviously that date has passed. However, it is considered inevitable that all commercial carriers will have to have them installed. Marissa Padill (FMCSA’s Director of Communications) announced that the agency expects to publish the rule in the near future. “Near future” means sometime in 2014. The exact date was not specified by Ms. Padill. The mandate to have ELDs was contained in MAP-21, (the transportation reauthorization law) law was signed by President Obama in 2012.